learning

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The Law of Hunger

My first day at Rhema was a lot like being thrown into a swimming pool. 

I’m so excited for the opportunity to learn and grow through my classes. 

My supervisor at work, Dr. Ray, gave me some great advice today, which I believe will help me maximize my time in school. 

He taught me about The Law of Hunger. 

Maybe this sounds weird (it did to me at first), but let me explain:

The Law of Hunger is a learning principle that engages both your mind and your spirit. 

You have to go into the classroom (or any learning opportunity) with both your mind and your spirit open to receive.

You must be hungry. 

As Christians, we need to understand (this should be a given) that there’s only so much we can know in the natural. 

Our spirits, however, are capable of knowing the deeper things of God. 

I’m a big believer in education–book learning–but it can never replace the role of the Holy Spirit to lead us and guide us into all truth. 

With all of this in mind, I’m ready to swim!

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A training culture 

Moving to a new place definitely changes your perspective. 

I visited Tulsa back in October, but it wasn’t my city yet. I was merely a visitor. 

Now I’m a resident and there’s an increased eagerness to really pay attention to stores and directions and the culture. 

I think the same can be said of any new adventure in life. 

Eagerness and curiosity will help you learn more because both are great motivators.

Great things are happening here. I’m excited to see how I can contribute. 

There’s so much to learn, so much to do and I really want to soak it all up. Many have told me that the lessons learned at Rhema are more caught than taught. 

The school wants you to learn, yes, but more importantly they want you to put into practice what you’re learning. 

I can’t wait for classes to start! January 19th can’t come fast enough. 

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Halfway there

I just hit the 6 month mark of daily blogging. 

Hard to believe all that can take place in 6 months….

Thanks for going on this journey with me. 

I told you when I started that a blog is pretty much a journal if no one reads it. 

You guys have encouraged me so much and I can’t wait to see what the next 6 months holds. 

I move to Tulsa on Friday. It’s cool to think about documenting my time at Rhema. There’s a lot to take in and sharing it with you will make the experience much richer. 

Once again, thanks for your love and support. 

This goal that seemed impossible 6 months ago is now halfway over. 

I’m learning that most limitations are self-imposed. 

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Untold stories

I want to write fiction this year. 

Writing this blog comes so naturally. I enjoy writing about life and everyday things. 

The conversational tone is my favorite. That’s why travelogues are my favorite book genre. 
In my college creative writing classes, my attempts at poetry were pitiful and my short stories were not impressive. 
It frustrated me because I have been a reader my whole life. Visualizing a story as I read is second nature. 

So why can’t I write about the stories I see so clearly in my head?

Two of my goals this year are to improve my writing skills and to write a few short stories. 

The only way I can achieve these goals is to change the way I see myself as a writer. 

I’m not some untalented wannabe who is barely scraping by. 

I can write. 

I have a voice. 

I will not give up. 

There are stories inside of me, as well as the everyday adventures I enjoy sharing. 

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The opportunities in your reality

Did you ever watch The Brady Bunch movie?

It was a spoof from the ’90s that was not that great, but made me laugh nonetheless. In it, Mike Brady gave Bobby some great advice:

“Wherever you go, there you are.”

I’ve seen this “advice” plastered all over novelty items. (I also googled the saying and found out it’s the title of a meditation book. Go figure.) What a goofy thing to say, right? We all know that…..or do we?

Recently, I was part of a conversation where a friend said, “Do you know what I could be doing?” and then went on for about 10 minutes about a job he could have.

I told this friend,  “You’re right and I agree. But here you are, so what are you going to do?”

There’s nothing wrong with dreaming or wanting to better yourself. Just remember that improvement starts right where you are. The weaknesses we possess do not magically disappear with a new opportunity.

The more I listened to my friend, the more I understood that the root of the problem was not feeling appreciated. Maybe an elevated position, a better job would do the trick. These people would appreciate me. These people see my true potential.

Once again, there’s truth in these thoughts. There’s nothing wrong with getting praised and honored for good work. Just be careful that praise and accolades aren’t the primary motivators. Applause is momentary–and it’s fickle too.

Motivation really is everything.

What are you looking to gain from an opportunity?

Be honest.

Answering this one question will show you the motivations of your heart.

Like I said earlier, the messy parts of ourselves–the things we want to leave behind–won’t disappear. You can’t just move on and not leave the new address.

Look around. There’s a lot to learn, a lot to do right, where you are now. Don’t be afraid to dream, but don’t ignore the opportunities in your current reality either.

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When comfort doesn’t come

I struggle with being assertive.

Being nice? Having fun? Keeping things light and fluffy?

Welcome to my comfort zone or my discomfort zone, depending on the day.

Lysa TerKeurst says it best:

Having a comfort zone doesn’t mean you’re always comfortable.

I’m being stretched in this area at work. Accountability in the work place, especially for those of us in management positions, means holding meetings to discuss progress.

Guess who’s the bearer of bad news?

Yeah. Fun-loving Audra.

And most of the time it’s not terrible news. Managers are just trained to notice things that are not going well–and then come up with strategies for improvement.

I’ll be really honest with you. I have to pray a lot when receiving instruction and correction. When my thoughts are allowed to go off alone, I take it personally–and even my controlled thoughts find me vulnerable.

Receiving instruction with grace is always a choice I have to make.

This is one struggle that can send my emotions and relationships into a tailspin. One of my goals for next year is to deconstruct this area and come up with a battle plan.

IMG_1566For now, though, I’m sitting in a hard place. Things have gone wrong and all I can do is clean up the mess.

Can I give you some advice?

Don’t ignore warning signs.

Don’t put off conversations.

Pretending everything is okay, will be okay, can be okay is not helping.

Which brings me back to being assertive in the workplace…..

If management teaches you anything it’s how to conquer fear, especially when your fear pops up as a subject in a meeting about your personal performance.

Here’s what I’m learning as I face up to my insecurities about giving/receiving instruction and correction:

Dealing with a problem is always uncomfortable. Stop waiting for comfort to come along. It won’t.

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Book talk is the best

IMG_1632I love book people.

My waitress at lunch today was a book person. She came into work with a book in her hand. She saw me reading after I ordered and struck up a conversation.

What are you reading?

What’s the book about?

What’s your favorite genre?

Talk about a great time of discussion. My book obsession is not shared by many! Statistics say that the number of readers is shrinking with each generation.

Literacy is such a precious gift. Ray Bradbury, author of Fahrenheit 451, once said:

You don’t have to burn books to destroy a culture. Just get people to stop reading them.

Our society puts a lot of emphasis on education, yet it does not stress the importance of reading enough. I can’t count the number of articles I’ve read in the past couple of years dealing with “screen time” and “how technology is reshaping education.”

Technology is wonderful. Making education fun is fine. What’s not fine is that the majority of children I meet hate reading.

The notion that blogs and magazines, tutorials and games can replace the knowledge found in a book baffles me.

I’m not going to debate the virtues of e-readers vs. paper books in this post either.

Let me just go ahead and define what I consider “reading”:

  • Printed books
  • E-books
  • Audio books

I value all the forms of reading available to us today. This debate of what does and does not constitute reading is silly in light of the bigger problem at hand.

I don’t care about your preferred method of reading. I’m just happy you are reading at all! This is no time for us to start hating on methods.

So, don’t be afraid to interrupt my reading at a restaurant. After I dance a jig, I will happily discuss books with you.

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Wrestling with the Truth

IMG_1694Who doesn’t love stories about go-getters who look adversity in the eyes and say, “I know you don’t believe in me, but I’m going to do it anyway”?

I know that I love to read about the tenacious efforts of other people.

Their lives are filled with adventure and learning. No amount of barriers or persecution will keep them from achieving their goals.

Are you excited yet? Can I get a hip, hip, hooray?

But there’s one person you don’t cheer loud enough for. One person who you think is limited or needs to be limited. One person who must not try unless success is guaranteed.

Yourself. Or, in my case, myself.

I’m not talking about becoming a pompous jerk who is self-absorbed.

I’m not talking about getting angry when others do well.

So what am I talking about then?

  • Allowing yourself to believe that you are talented, equipped, and able to do all the things God puts in your heart to do.
  • Allowing yourself to believe that now is the time to live your life.
  • Allowing yourself to try–even if you fail–and knowing that your efforts are not in vain.

Maybe I should just stick a Dear Audra at the front of this post and call it a day……

I struggle with these truths.

In the face of a great adventure with a greater purpose, I want to throw up. Knowing that all of the risk and work will result in a beautiful story, a God story, doesn’t make it any easier.

Remember what we talked about yesterday?

Following the voice of God does not always leave you comfortable.

But I would rather have holy discomfort than stay in any comfort zone I build for myself.

I want to be tenacious, but I need some help. Help from the Holy Spirit and help from you too.

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Confessions of a leadership stalker

I have a few problems. They’re serious too.

  • Book ADD
  • YouTube ADD
  • Blog ADD
  • Podcast ADD

If I hear about a speaker, author, pastor, etc. on a podcast or blog, I will immediately go to the library’s website and see how many of their books are available to check out.

Then I go to YouTube and find all of the videos of them speaking.

Then I go to the podcasts site and find all the podcasts.

Then I go to their website and blog.

I'm holding you hostage for your knowledge!

I’m holding you hostage for your knowledge!

This is called leadership stalking. (No, it’s not in any official medical journals, but it should be.)

My illness is in overdrive this week because of the Influence and Impact Summit (link below).

Nothing will stop me from this craziness. I just want to learn from this person–right now!

If your list of acceptable teachers can fit on a Post It note, you need to upgrade to a larger piece of paper.

There’s nothing wrong with having a big pool of teachers. I am a big believer in learning from those around me.

And, a note to my Christian friends who are afraid to broaden their horizons, if you apply common sense and your Jesus Filter (aka The Bible) you can learn from anyone.

In today’s world, there’s no reason for us to not be learning.

You will never arrive at a place where you know it all. No one likes a know it all anyway!

We have so much information at our fingertips that a 13th century monk would be crying if he ever came back for a visit.

Take advantage of all available resources, especially when they’re free!

Don’t be afraid to become an ADD learning junkie.

There are gifts inside of you that the world needs.

Now, get busy learning how to use them.

Influence and Impact Summit:

http://www.influenceandimpactsummit.com/

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Labor Day Learning

Happy Labor Day!

I hope you ate some tasty food. 

We had barbecue (my personal favorite) and sang America, the Beautiful. 

Did you know that Labor Day’s been around since the 1800s? 

The holiday was and is about celebrating all the laborers who work hard, building and maintaining America’s varying infrastructures. 

 

This is the closest I’ve ever come to being a lumberjack. Happy Labor Day!

 From homes and offices to highways and bridges–and everything in between–America would look a lot different without the hard work of tradesmen. 

I encourage you to read up on the history of Labor Day. Google that junk, as my friend Bethany would say. 

Yes, there is more to the holiday than simply enjoying a long weekend and eating barbecue (though I want to know when National Barbecue Day rolls around). 

Put down your fork for 5 minutes and learn something. 

History is all around us. It’s not confined to a dusty textbook. And it can only be ignored for so long. 

I don’t want to be a mindless zombie when it comes to holidays. 

I want to take the time to celebrate each one by honoring its unique history.